Markus Kayser – Solar Sinter Project from Markus Kayser on Vimeo.
After starting off with what looks like a jaunt through the dunes of Tatooine, this video from Markus Kayser will eventually bring you to a 3D printer that uses the immense power of the sun to turn sand into glass.
The 3D printer, called the Solar Sinter, was conceived of by Kayser to create shapes from the vast nothingness of the Sahara Desert, specifically the portion that runs through Egypt.
He’s created quite the video production as well, with every facet of the device and the melting process painstakingly documented. He even makes a pretty decent bowl at the end, which had me and some of the Boing Boing commenters thinking about how a larger device might be used to create structures in desert areas where resources are scarce. It’s not like the Sahara is going to run out of sand anytime soon. [This Is Colossal via Boing Boing]